To the Editor: A recent Medical News & Perspectives article described a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report on chemicals found in humans.1 Some concern was raised about phthalates.
Phthalates are substances used to soften plastics in products such as medical devices (eg, endotracheal tubes, ventilator tubing, bags for intravenous solutions), toys, and food packaging, and are also important in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and personal care products such as cosmetics and lotions. They have been researched for half a century and are among the most thoroughly studied compounds used in industry.
In the article, John Balbus is reported to have said that the levels of phthalates measured in blood and urine exceed estimates based on environmental sampling. This is not the case. The phthalate levels measured by the CDC are well within the ranges recently used by the Expert Panel of the National Toxicology Program (NTP) . . . [Full Text of this Article]
